Loose lynx: Scotland has a history of illicit guerrilla releases

Highlands: So, there’s been a bit of a kerfuffle in the Scottish Highlands. Environmental activists are keen on bringing back the lynx, but not like this.

Recently, at least two lynx were spotted in the area, and folks are worried that someone let them loose illegally. These cats haven’t roamed Scotland for hundreds of years!

Authorities managed to catch two of them, but they’re still on the lookout for a couple more that were seen near Killiehuntly. They’re setting traps to catch them humanely and take them to the Edinburgh Zoo.

This whole situation has sparked a debate. Some activists want to reintroduce lynx to help manage the deer population and show Scotland’s commitment to wildlife. But no one knows who released these cats. It could be someone frustrated with the slow approval process or someone trying to sabotage the reintroduction efforts.

Darragh Hare from the University of Oxford pointed out that Scotland has a history of these guerrilla releases, mentioning beavers and pine martins. He stressed the importance of doing it right, even if it takes longer.

Historically, lynx vanished from Scotland between 500 and 1,300 years ago, likely due to hunting and habitat loss. Since 2021, there’s been a push to bring them back, with a group called Lynx to Scotland working on public support and government approval.

These lynx are shy and won’t bother humans, and they’ve been successfully reintroduced in places like Germany and France. But supporters of the reintroduction are upset about this illegal release, saying it’s counterproductive.

During a recent Scottish Parliament debate, the pros and cons of bringing back lynx were hot topics. Advocates talked about controlling the deer population, while opponents worried about the impact on sheep and ground-nesting birds.

One lawmaker, Edward Mountain, argued that now isn’t the right time to reintroduce lynx, given they’ve been gone for 500 years.